Beauty more than skin deep for Val

Val Glover-Hovan has made her mark on more than 30,000 people over the past 36 years and as one of Australia’s most sought-after cosmetic tattooists, the 81-year-old has no plans to down tools yet! She even makes regular trips to Sydney, Melbourne and Perth to care for loyal clients, some who have been seeing her for more than 30 years. “I remember when I was 50 and a client said, make sure you tell me when you’re going to retire, because I’ll have to have my eyebrows retouched before you do so,” Val said. “I told her, I’ll retire when I’m 60, then when I turned 60 it became 65, then it became 70 and so forth.”

Homeowners at Seachange are encouraged to keep active, and Val said that is why she made the move from Sydney in Manly, leaving her established beauty business behind. “It took me a long time to make the move to Seachange, but I was on my own and I wanted to be somewhere where people care,” she said. “If you’re in an apartment, people wouldn’t know if you’re dead or alive, but if you’re not out and about at Seachange, your friends will come and knock at your door to make sure you’re ok.” Val said she enjoyed seeing friendly faces from Seachange Lifestyle Resort at her clinic.

“I love helping so many people feel good about themselves, even if that means helping women have eyebrows again,” she said. “I believe it’s important to always pretty ourselves up and make the best of what we have. I believe we should put on our makeup and add some colour to the face. Keep beauty alive, it keeps you alive. We are living on the beautiful Gold Coast and it is indeed a place that is divine and attracts beautiful people as well. And I should say, that is what Seachange is all about – beautiful people on the inside and outside.”

When Val trained as a cosmetic tattooist in 1985 she used a needle in a bamboo stick. Now, more than three decades on, she uses modernised techniques and new equipment that allows her to work on all parts of the female and male anatomy. “It’s a truly rewarding job,” she said. “You have to have a reason to get up every day, be thankful you can, no matter what it is, it will get you motivated and keep you happy.”

Even with her optimistic approach, Val said she will retire when she knows she can’t do it any longer. “I’m sensible and I’ll get that message when it’s time to stop, whether it’s because of my eyes or hands.”

Always keeping active, Val proudly treats clients weekly at her Southport salon, Cosmetic Tattoo Australia.